Beyond Our Sunset
by xXxAngelDestined2FallxXx
Summary: Bella is a shy girl who's being abused by her father. Edward is a badass who falls for her. Then he discovers her secret. Can he save her before it's too late? AH, OOC, AU. Please R&R! (I've changed the rating to M for language and later chapters!)
1. Today Would Be Different

Bella's POV

"Wake up, you worthless whore!" I heard Charlie yell from the bottom of the staircase.  
I raised my body slowly, careful not to put any pressure on my latest sore spots.  
Charlie's beatings were always brutal, but this was just ridiculous.  
Once I was changed and ready for another treacherous day in school, I ran downstairs to greet Charlie. I was way past calling him my dad at this point. I haven't seen him as a father since my mom died and he started drinking daily. Then the beatings started.  
But I tried not to let that get to me. I was seventeen after all. Just one more year to go before I'm free of him. That is, of course, if he hasn't killed me by then.  
I had to joke about it. The only other option was to be terrified out of my skin. And I don't think I could handle that.  
"Morning," I said to him as I walked towards the door. He grunted.  
I was used to this. The lack of communication.  
I got into the old Chevy truck he had gotten me a while back.  
A part of me hoped this was all a horrible nightmare. That I would wake up tomorrow morning and that car crash would have never happened and my mom would be alive, and Charlie would be happy and less mean.  
But I knew that this was reality. A cruel and disgusting reality that I would never forget.  
I arrived at school just as the bell had rung and thanked the Gods that I wasn't late. The last thing I wanted was for Charlie to receive a phone call about my tardiness. I could never bear the punishment.  
I got out of my truck and scurried through the school to my first class.  
And got ready for the start of another boring day at Forks High.  
But somehow, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it, I felt like today was going to be different today.

Edward's POV

"Why am I in this crappy town, again?" I asked for the millionth time.  
"Because, son," Carlisle said, "there was a good job offer and it's a good opportunity for you and your siblings to start afresh." He had explained this a million times before.  
I couldn't believe this. My father gets a job offer and suddenly our lives have to change.  
Did I want to move from California to this cruddy town? No.  
Did I want to 'start afresh'? No.  
But did anyone care about what I wanted? No.  
"Cheer up, Edward," Alice said to me. Carlisle and Esme adopted her most recently. They have always been givers. They adopted every one of their children, including me. In fact, I was the first. Then came my favourite brother, Emmett, who was about a year older than I was. After him they brought home Rosalie and Jasper. They lived at the same orphanage together. Jasper was a year younger than Rosalie, who was the same age as Emmett, but they are the best of friends. Then, of course, save the most irritating for last. One of these days I'm going to burn all of her clothes which she loves more than life.  
She glared at me, as if she knew what I was planning.  
Then she quickly brightened up. "I'm going to make a ton of new friends! This is going to be so much fun!" she squealed, just as Jasper came down the staircase and kissed her cheek.  
Gross.  
Apparently, my family had a thing for dating siblings. At least they weren't as bad as Emmett and Rosalie.  
It was impossible to live in the same house as them.  
Everyone had a partner. Except me.  
But that was fine because I didn't want a girl. I didn't need one. They're all just a waste of space.  
"Come on, Ed," Emmett said as he and Rose entered the living room. "Forks High awaits."  
I gathered my things and went into the garage to find my baby. My family was particularly wealthy, and out of all the cars we have, I loved my silver Volvo the most.  
I got into the car and drove to my new school, followed by my siblings in Emmett's car. I drove alone. Everybody knew that.  
As we arrived at the entrance, just as the bell had finished ringing, I saw a girl running to the front entrance.  
Brown hair, what looked like brown eyes, incredibly pale skin and as skinny as you can be without being labelled with some sort of disease.  
To anyone else she would be ordinary, nothing special about her.  
But, to me, she was the best thing I'd laid my eyes on since we arrived here.  
I parked, watching her disappear through the door.  
Maybe life here wouldn't be as bad as I'd thought…


	2. His New Toy

Bella's POV

When lunch arrived about three periods later, I never really kept up with time nowadays, I made a beeline for my locker.  
I didn't socialize. I never really was one for company. After passing the English class I heard someone shouting.  
"Hey! Hey, wait up!"  
I knew that whoever it was couldn't be talking to me. Nobody ever talks to me.  
Then I heard footsteps following me.  
I walked a little faster, trying to get lost in the crowd.  
"Hey! Slow down!" It sounded like a boy. But it was a voice I'd never heard before. New kids?  
I reached my locker and tried to get it open quickly, but my fingers fumbled. And just as I'd gotten it open, a large, pale hand pushed on it, closing it again.  
I looked up, about to tell the guy off, but froze when I saw his face.  
He had bronze hair that looked as though he'd just gotten out of bed. An angular face, flawlessly sculpted, and clear, bright emerald eyes. I swooned. He was…perfect. There was no other way to say it.  
"Are you alright, love?" he asked, probably wondering why I was standing there, gaping with my mouth open.  
The word 'love' brought me back from my ogling.  
"Don't call me that!" I snapped.  
"Okay, okay! Cool it," he said, putting is hands up, as if to show peace.  
I took the opportunity to open my locker and stuff my books inside.  
"So, you wanna tell me your name, Kitten?" he asked, a devilish smirk on his face.  
"What's with all the nicknames?" I asked back, irritated.  
"Well, kittens have claws, don't they? And it looks like you do too," he answered, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.  
"Okay, well, my name is Bella. Now you know my, so can you leave me alone, please?" I said, slamming my locker closed.  
I walked away from him, heading towards the parking lot.  
"No," he answered, following behind me. I groaned. What was with this guy?  
I turned around and faced him. "What do you want?"  
"Isn't it obvious, Kitten? I want _you_. Why are you running away? Do you have somewhere to be? Someone to get to?"  
I didn't reply to his ridiculous questions. "Well, I'm not interested so…you can stop following me," I said, walking away from him, again.  
This time, he didn't follow me. Instead he ran in front of me, blocking my path.  
"So, I'll take that as a no," he said, that same arrogant smile on his face.  
"Goodbye," I said, stepping to the right, hoping to end this conversation. He just stepped with me, not letting me pass.  
"What do you _want_?" I asked again. This was getting tired.  
"I suppose I didn't make myself clear. I said I want you, Kitten."  
"Well, I don't want _you_!" I said, through gritted teeth.  
I stepped to the left, but he stepped with me again.  
"You don't understand, _Bella_. I don't really care what you want, at the moment. I _always_ get what I want," he said looking into my eyes. "_Always_."  
"Not this time," I said, trying to walk around me. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. "Ouch!"  
"Why are you walking to your car? I'm new here and even I know where the cafeteria is." He raised his eyebrow in a fiendish way, a smile playing on his lips.  
"I'm going to my truck," I said looking away, behind him, to the parking lot. "Not that it's any of your business but I have Biology next period and there's a big test. I need to revise. Mr Banner is strict with all that shit." We stared at each other for a long while.  
Then he's smile dropped, and he let me go.  
He started to walk away.  
Now, the rational part of me knew that I should run for it now. Escape before he turns around.  
But the illogical part of me wondered why he was retreating so suddenly.  
"Where are you going?" I asked, stupidly.  
"Sorry, Kitten, but I'll have to play with you again some other time. I'm starving." He turned back to me. "But don't worry. I'll see you again,_ soon._"  
Then he was gone. And I continued to walk back to my truck, bewildered. I was dizzy and my head hurt.  
This guy had just spun me around in circles, effectively leaving me hanging, even _missing_ his company, and I didn't even know his name!

Edward POV

Amazing. She was simply amazing.  
Her hair was soft, eyes gentle, clear skin, a voice like an angel, and she smelt like roses…or freesia. She was just…incredible.  
Feisty. My kind of girl. And my new play-thing.  
I felt like a child who's woken up on his birthday with a new toy. That's what she was…a new toy. I would enjoying playing with her.  
I opened the cafeteria door and immediately spotted my family at the far end table.  
I walked up to where the food was lined, and grabbed a tray, filling it with a few slices of pizza and a Coke.  
Then I walked to my family at a leisurely pace and, pulling out the spare chair, I sat down and stuffed my face.  
"Where have _you_ been? Lunch started 15 minutes ago!" Rosalie asked.  
"None of your fucking business!" I said, irritated. I didn't owe anyone an explanation. But that shut her up.  
For the rest of the lunch period we sat in silence. Even Alice. I guessed we were all just a little hung up over our first day.  
When the bell rang I checked my schedule to see what my next period was. Maybe I could ditch.  
_Biology, Mr Banner,_ it read.  
Didn't my Kitten have that class next.  
I smiled. No way was I ditching today.  
This was going to be fun.


	3. My name is Edward

Bella's POV

I was the first person to get to Biology when the bell sounded. Mr Banner took no notice to me so I immediately sat at my regular seat. I had no partner. I didn't need one. I didn't have much of a social life so I had plenty time to study.  
Gradually, people started pouring into class. I layed my head on the desk and waited for our test papers to be handed out.  
"Hey, Bella." I looked up to see Mike Newton in the empty seat next to me. "What's up?"  
It was probably an off day for him. He usually tries every pick-up line in the book to get a date with me. But I don't date. Charlie would never allow it.  
"The sky, most likely," I said dryly, lowering my head back onto my arms.  
He chuckled a rather fake chuckle, then walked back to his seat, shot down once again.  
"Alright, class," I heard Mr Banner start. My head stayed down. "Let's see if everyone's present and then we can-"  
"Sorry I'm late. I couldn't find the class."  
I knew that voice. My head shot up and there he was. The same guy that was harassing me in the hallway. Standing in front of the class, excusing himself for being late.  
But if he was sorry to be late…that meant he was in this class! Oh…no. Please no.  
"Of course, Mr Cullen," Mr Banner said. Cullen. Well, at least I knew his last name. I heard a lot of mumbles around the class, mostly from girls. "Take a seat and get comfortable."  
I looked around the class. There were only two vacant seats in class.  
One was next to Lauren. I hated her. Because she hated me. I had no idea why, but from the moment I started school here, she's been on my case.  
And the other seat was next to…me! Dang it. It wasn't rocket science to know which seat he chose.  
He walked up to me, that same horrible smirk gracing his lips, and sat in the seat beside me. His eyes never left my face, as much as I tried to avoid his piercing gaze.  
"Hello, Kitten. I told we'd see each other soon, didn't I?" I didn't respond. Why couldn't he just take a hint.  
"Okay class," Mr Banner said, calling the class back to order. "Let's go through the class list and see who isn't present." The smile left my 'partner's' face immediately. At the same time a smile crept onto my lips. I was going to know his name!  
Mr Banner drawled out the name and I waited anxiously for the 'C's. But just when he got to what must have been _his_ name, he paused.  
"I know _you're_ present, Mr Cullen." And he continued on the list. Grrr. Double dang it!  
The smile left my face and reappeared on his. I started to notice a pattern here. When I smiled, he didn't. And vice-versa.  
My name was eventually called. "Isabella Swan?"  
"Here!" I called. I looked directly ahead.  
"Isabella…" _He_ whispered. He was staring at me. I could practically feel it.  
Once the list was through Mr Banner reached for a stack of papers on his desk.  
"Okay, students. We are about to begin the test. Remember, no talking or sharing answers. Eyes on your own papers," he said as he handed out the tests. When he got to our table, he gave me a page, but not Cullen. He moved on to the next table.  
"Excuse me, I didn't receive a paper," Cullen said. I never noticed how sophisticated he presented himself as. Well…when he wasn't stalking me, that is.  
"Since you are new here, Mr Cullen, you do not need to participate in this test," Mr Banner answered.  
"But, sir, I'm sure I've studied this before. At my previous school. It should be bearable." This guy was persistent, I could give him that much.  
"I'm sure it would be," Mr Banner said, obviously not very interested. "But those are the rules. Consider yourself lucky." He walked back to his desk.  
"Alright, class. You may begin."  
I picked up my pencil and started colouring in the circles of the correct answers. For a multiple choice quiz, this was quite difficult.  
Although _Mr Cullen_ seemed to be having a ball of a time staring at me. It was actually starting to make me feel uncomfortable. And considering what I go through at home, that was saying a lot.  
I was tolerating it…then he opened his big, arrogant mouth.  
"The answer to number 18 is 'C'; none of the above, Kitten. Not 'D'."  
I looked up to tell him off about cheating, but closed my mouth before I did. I wasn't going to get into trouble because of him.  
But then I looked back at number 18. After careful consideration I erased my previous answer and shaded in the circle 'C'.  
I heard him chuckle quietly. I shot him a death glare. It only seemed to make him laugh harder. I didn't even know this guy and I disliked him already.  
The bell sounded signalling our next class, and I was the first person to get up and hand in my paper, strolling as fast as I could out of the classroom. No-one was more excited for that test to be over than I was.  
The next two periods flew by in a blur. I barely focused on anything. I was too busy thinking about the new jerk in town, aka _Mr-I-Don't-Want-You-To-Know-My-Name-Cullen. _And I thought about how much I'd hated him already.  
Once the final bell sounded I made my way to the parking lot and in the general direction of where I parked my truck.  
And there he was. Out of nowhere, there was _Mr Cullen_, standing in the empty parking space where I was certain I left my truck. The place I left my truck every morning. The place where my truck wasn't.  
And, somehow, I knew he had something to do with it.  
"Where the hell is my truck?"  
He looked up at me. I was really getting tired of that smirk.  
"I took it home for you."  
Now, I had many questions on my mind at this point. But I voiced the one that was bothering me the most.  
"How did you know where I live?"  
"I asked the front office after Biology. They're not very good at disclosing people's addresses. I'll have to talk to somebody about that." He acted cool. As if he didn't have a care in the world. And it was pretty possible that that was the case.  
"Well, how am I supposed to get home?" I almost yelled.  
Now he was full on smiling. "I guess you'll just have to catch a ride with me, Kitten." So that was his plan.  
Well, there was no way in hell that was happening.  
"Forget it! I'd rather walk." I started towards the road when suddenly, there was a huge boom of thunder.  
Then, out of nowhere, sheets of rain hit us, making me soaking wet, and even disrupting my vision.  
I turned back to him. "I don't know how, but you did this on purpose."  
He seemed to smile even wider, if it were possible. "Just fate, sweetheart."  
I rolled my eyes and walked up to him. "You'll take me straight home?"  
"Scouts honour," he said, holding up his right hand. I rolled my eyes again. Immature.  
"Fine."  
He walked me to a fancy silver Volvo. I had to admit, he may be a jerk, but he had a good taste in cars.  
I opened the passenger seat and waited for him to get in. which he did in a matter of seconds.  
Then we were driving.  
"So, Kitten," he started, wasting no time. "How was your day?"  
"Terrific," I responded dryly.  
He sighed. "Why are you so…bitter?"  
I gasped. I was not bitter! "I am not!"  
He chuckled. "Stubborn. I like it."  
"Whatever," I said. "Can I ask you something?"  
"Of course. Anything your heart desires, Kitten." He humoured me.  
"You just moved here, right? Why are you so interested in me? What made me your victim of the year? Why are you so _interested_?"  
He raised his eyebrow. That same smile never leaving his lips. "Because you, my dear Kitten, are _interesting_."  
I thought for a minute. "When you said 'I want you', what exactly were you implying?"  
"That I want you," he answered simply. What was up with him?  
"Why would you want me?"  
He stopped the car. Only then did I realise that we were parked in front of my house. He had turned a 30minute drive into 10minutes. That made me think about how fast he must have been going. It frightened me.  
"Because I am a collector of beautiful and precious things, Kitten. And, too bad for you, my dear, you fit that description perfectly."  
Collector? Who did this guy think he was? "And what exactly do you plan on doing with me?" I asked.  
He smiled. It was a disgustingly mischievous smile that made my skin crawl.  
"Whatever. I. Please."  
I shivered. But, surprisingly, not in a bad way.  
I opened my door and got out of the car. I was about to close the door when he called me back.  
"And, Kitten?" I turned back to his, leaning into the car.  
"What?" He leaned in closer to me. That was the first time I'd actually had the chance to smell him. I took a deep breath. The scent was strong and smelt like honey…or lemons. And there was something else…more manly…but I couldn't put my finger on it.  
His voice snapped me back into reality.  
"Just in case you were wondering. My name is Edward."  
With that, he closed the door for me and drove off. Leaving me dumbfounded in the process.  
Edward. Edward Cullen. I liked it. I liked it a lot.  
For the next few hours, while making dinner for Charlie, all I could think about was him. But what scared me was that I never stopped smiling.

Edward's POV

I opened the front door to my house and Esme came walking out of the kitchen.  
"Where were you?" She wasn't reprimanding like Carlisle would have been. She was concerned.  
"I was…playing with a new friend," I said, all too truthfully.  
Her face brightened up. "Oh! That's lovely! Who is it?"  
"Just someone I met today." I liked to be vague. It gave them less to worry about.  
I heard my sibling's voices in the game room. As much as I loved gaming with my brothers, I just wasn't in the mood today.  
I walked up to my room and layed on my bed.  
I turned over and closed my eyes, just about ready to fall asleep. I started thinking about my Kitten. About my Isabella. Well, not mine yet. But she would be, soon.  
I didn't know how to explain it to her. She was just…different. Special.  
But she didn't see it.  
She obviously had a secret. A secret she would never tell.  
A secret I was determined to find out…


	4. I Fell, That's That

Bella's POV

I woke up the next morning to a brutal pain in my chest. Last night Charlie must have busted one of my ribs. I would have to get that checked.  
I slowly turned my head to my dresser. 7:52am! Oh no! I was late!  
My alarm must not have gone off!  
I jumped out of bed and a surge of nausea hit me. Then, as if to add icing to the cake, I heard a loud car horn outside.  
And it wasn't Charlie.  
I looked out of my window and saw…a shiny, silver Volvo!  
I quickly turned away. There was no way I was going to go down there and face _him_. Edward. Why was he even here in the first place?  
I jumped when I heard a sudden banging on the door. They were so forceful, I could feel the vibrations.  
Maybe I could pretend I had already left. My truck was still out, but he might assume I'd caught a lift with Charlie…  
"Kitten!" I heard from the front door. "I know you're here! I saw you in the window! Come on out!"  
So much for that idea.  
I looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a tiny tube top, shorts that could pass for a belt, and my hair looked like a haystack! I couldn't let anyone see me like this! Especially _him_!  
"Come on out, Kitten! Game's over!"  
I sighed. I knew he wouldn't stop until I opened the door. And, quite frankly, I doubted this ancient house could stand for another one of his 'knocks'.  
I walked down the stairs, trying to ignore the stabbing in my chest, and opened the door. And there he was. The same stupid smirk on his face. Somehow he seemed to get more beautiful every day. His hair was messed, as if he didn't bother to brush it this morning, and it had a slight glisten to it. Probably from the early morning rain shower.  
When he saw what I was wearing, his smirk got impossibly wider.  
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he started. "That's a good look for you, Kitten. Planning on wearing that to school? Because if you are, I'm going to have a hard time holding back from attacking you in the middle of class."  
I rolled my eyes, but then looked down to hide my blush.  
"I love that," he said. "The way I can make you feel anything I want with the push of a button." He smirked again.  
"What are you doing here?"  
"I thought you might need a ride to school. Though as easy as I thought you would be to read, I have to admit that I didn't expect to be greeted by a half naked girl with sex-hair."  
"Sex-hair?" I questioned. But then I quickly waved it off. "Never mind. I don't think I wanna know."  
I yawned. Maybe I should skip school today. I was pretty sure I'd miss the first two periods anyway. Then I thought back to what Charlie would do if the news got to him.  
Well, better late than never I guess.  
"Are you going to just stand there staring into space all day, or are you going to invite me in?" he asked me.  
My first instinct was to tell him to fuck off. But I knew that I would get to school a lot faster in his Volvo than I would in my truck.  
I groaned. "Fine. Come in."  
He walked in slowly.  
"I'm gonna go take a quick shower. I'll be down in a minute." Ouch! Even breathing hurt!  
"A shower, hmmm. Mind if I join you?"  
I rolled my eyes, though a part of me wasn't all that sure he was kidding.  
Once I was washed, I walked back to my bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I walked over to my wardrobe to find something to wear.  
I chose a long-sleeved brown top, skinny jeans and my favourite pair of Converse.  
When it was layed out on my bed, I dropped my towel to the floor.  
That's when I realised I wasn't alone.  
"Nice," I heard Edward say from across the room.  
I hurriedly picked up my towel and covered my naked body from his view.  
"What the fuck are you doing in here? Why didn't you tell me you were in here?" I half shrieked.  
"Now, now. Don't have a panic attack," he said. "You'd be no use to me dead."  
Did he honestly think this was funny?  
I growled. It hurt my chest.  
"Okay, okay," he said. "Well, I thought you were taking too long, so I came up here to check on you. And about the letting you know thing…" he continued. "Well, as much as I knew that I should have been a gentleman and told you, I thought it would be better to see how it played out. I thought it would be rather entertaining." He chuckled.  
"UGH!" This was beyond frustrating! Not to mention embarrassing!  
"Can't say that I was wrong," he said, completely unconcerned about the fact that that he just saw me naked. "If you don't mind me saying, you are remarkably unperceptive."  
"Actually," I said turning away from him. "I DO mind you saying!"  
My cheeks were beyond burning red by now. "Maybe you should just leave, okay! I don't need a ride!"  
I could almost feel him rolling his eyes at me. "I'll be downstairs," he said, walking towards my door. "Get dressed."  
He opened the door, but turned back to me. "And try to make it snappy."  
I changed, trying to ignore the fact that this guy, who I've known for only two days, had just seen me naked.  
I ran downstairs, hoping he wouldn't bring it up, and found him leaning against the door frame.  
He didn't say anything, which must be a first for him. Instead he just motioned for me to come with him and opened my door for me.  
I got in without saying anything. He was never silent, so I figured I'd just go with it.  
We were about 5 minutes into the drive when he looked at me.  
"What happened to your chest, Kitten?"  
My breath hitched. I didn't respond. This could NOT be happening!  
"Ummm...I don't know what you're talking about…"  
he turned back to the road. "In your room. When you were…naked…I saw bruises on your chest. How did they get there?"  
I swallowed hard. "Oh...well…I…um…fell. Down the stairs. Last night. It was pretty bad," I lied. I'd never been a good liar, and I prayed that he bought it.  
"Oh. Okay." He seemed to be in deep thought for a moment, then his face relaxed into a smirk again. "My clumsy Kitten. You really need to be more careful." I sighed, relieved. "Although it did look pretty bad…maybe I should take you to my father. He's a doctor. Maybe-"  
"No!" I shouted. Then I took a deep breath. "No, I…it's alright. It's already been checked out and it's just a bruise. Really, it's fine!"  
He considered that for a moment, but seemed to accept my excuse.  
"Well, okay then." We were parked in the school parking lot and the bell rang. I was shocked to see notice that it was already the lunch period.  
"Wait here, will you?" Edward said, as he got out of the car.  
I wasn't going to actually do as he said, but when I tried to open the door, it was locked. The arrogant bastard.  
He came back 10 minutes later with a stack of papers in his hand.  
"What's all that?" I asked as he opened my door for me.  
"My new schedule," he announced, proudly. "We now share every class. You're welcome."  
Oh boy. Would this guy ever quit?  
"Woo-hoo," I said, unenthusiastically.  
He chuckled.  
We walked into the cafeteria and, strangely, I followed him to a table.  
We sat in silence for a minute, then I noticed a table of people staring at us. I'd never seen them before.  
There were two guys and two girls. I looked at the guys.  
One of them looked tall and thin. He was blond, and seemed to be about my age. His eyes were blue. Sea blue.  
The other guy was big and brawny. Almost big enough to be a body builder. He had deep brown hair and…purple eyes? Well, whatever colour they were, they were unbelievably beautiful! Almost…mystical.  
I turned my attention to the girls.  
The short one was pixie like, with an elfin face and tiny, acute features and warm, hazel eyes. Her hair was drop dead black, and cropped into spikes around her small face. And she was drastically skinny! Even thinner than me, and I barely passed for 100 pounds! She was the type of girl you would call 'pretty' instead of 'beautiful'.  
The tall one was…perfect. As far as I could tell. She had long, light blond hair, almost bleached, but not quite, and clear, sky blue eyes. Her features were perfect and her skin was flawless. It reminded me vaguely of what a swimwear model in a magazine would look like.  
They were all different, but the one thing that stood out between them was their pale skin. They were paler than anyone here. They were as pale as Edward.  
Wait! Those must be the rest of the Cullens! Of Edward's family!  
"What are you staring at?" I heard him ask.  
"Why are they staring at us?" I asked back.  
He looked over his shoulder. "My family? They're not staring at us."  
I exhaled.  
"They're staring at _you_," he finished.  
"Why?" I asked, turning away from them.  
"Don't worry," he said with a chuckle. "They're just surprised. Let's just say I've never been one for making new friends."  
"I wonder why," I said, sarcastically. He chuckled harder.  
Suddenly, there was a stabbing pain in my chest, and I fell to the floor, gripping the table.  
"Kitten? Kitten?" I heard Edward shout.  
I felt arms around my body, then everything went black.  
When I woke up I was in a hospital bed. I could tell by the frosty air and smell of the room. Then I noticed that I wasn't alone. There were two other people in the room with me. One, I noticed, was Edward. The other was a doctor. A handsome one at that. With blond hair and deep blue eyes. Judging by his pale skin, and my lack of recognition towards him, even throughout all my previous visits to the ER, I assumed this was Edward's father.  
"Look who's finally woken up!" he exclaimed, a glorious smile on his face. "How do you feel?"  
I ignored his question. "What happened?"  
"You blacked out from extreme pain coming from your chest."  
"Oh," I remembered the excuse I gave Edward, who's face now went from relieved to furious. "I fell down the stairs and got bruised badly."  
"I find that hard to believe…Isabella," the doctor told me.  
"How so?" I asked, trying to maintain my calm expression.  
"Because, Miss Swan, you had a severely cracked rib and there are foot markings all over your chest."  
I stopped breathing for a second. "Look, doctor-"  
"Please," he interrupted."Call me Carlisle."  
"Carlisle," I continued. "I don't know what you're talking about. I fell. That's that. Now can we let this drop?"  
"No, we cannot. You are lucky you didn't puncture a lung. I managed to get it stitched up, but you're going to have to stay here a little longer, just to test the results."  
"How long have I been here?" I asked, hoping it wasn't late.  
"Just two hours." I let out a large sigh.  
"Now, Isabella, I need you to tell me something before I can let you go."  
I nodded, my eyes on Edward.  
He sighed, sitting down at the foot of my bed.  
"Who did this to you?"

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**A/N**** Ooooooh…cliff hanger! I'm so evil, aren't I? Mwahahahaha! Phew! This was by far the longest chapter I've ever written.  
The faster you review, the faster I update!  
:D R&R! **


	5. Falling In Love With Edward Cullen

"_Who did this to you?" _

Bella's POV

All I did was stare at him, not saying a word. What could I say? If I told them then Charlie would kill me. If I didn't, it seemed like Edward might.  
He looked absolutely lethal.  
"I fell," I repeated lamely, knowing that it was useless. I couldn't lie my way out of this one, and they were waiting for a real answer.  
Carlisle sighed and Edward closed his eyes and put his pointer finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose, taking deep, calming breaths. He looked about ready to kill.  
"Please, Bella," Carlisle tried, "if someone is abusing you then it is your responsibility to speak up about it. If you don't then we can't do anything to help you."  
I took a deep breath and tried to plant a convincing smile on my face.  
"I'm fine. No one is…abusing me or anything. I fell, that's all.  
"Kitten, I suggest you stop with the lying," Edward said, his eyes still closed. "You are a terrible actress. Tell us the truth." It was a demand.  
"Please," I whispered, looking down.  
"Please, what?" Carlisle asked.  
"Don't," I said softly.  
We were all silent for a minute, then I got up. "Thank you for all the help but I'm fine. Really."  
I headed for the door, and suddenly had a thought. "Hey, is there anything you can give me for pain?"  
Carlisle sighed, but got up and picked a small bottle off of the counter of his desk and handed it to me.  
"Tylenol. It will ease the pain in your chest, but try not to have too much activity going on for the next couple days or so."  
I sighed, knowing that this couldn't be done, even if I wanted to. But I nodded anyway.  
Once the pills were in my hand and was about to open the door, when a pair of big, pale hands beat me to it.  
I looked up and Edward's face was livid. I suddenly wasn't so sure that I wanted to ride home with him.  
I followed him out to the car and got in without saying a word. Neither of us spoke for about 10 minutes until the car was suddenly pulled over onto the curb and he looked over at me with a grim face.  
"Well?" he asked, expectantly.  
I stared, confused "Well…what?"  
He rolled his. "Well, when are you planning on telling me who hurt you?"  
I gasped. "Edward…"  
"No! No don't 'Edward' me, Kitten. I want to know and I want to know now!"  
"Just take me home."  
"NO!" he yelled, surprising me and making me jump. He took a deep breath and looked into my eyes.  
"Please, Bella," he whispered. "please help me understand why you are getting hurt."  
I was near tears but I held them back. "What do you want?"  
"To understand…" he said softly.  
I looked away and he pulled my chin up harshly.  
"NO! Don't you DARE look away from me, Kit-Isabella."  
I gasped and he continued softly. "Isabella, please try to help me help you?"  
His eyes were smouldering and I had to look away.  
"Can we do this some other time?" I knew that we weren't finished but I had to get home and I figured this was the best compromise.  
He nodded but didn't look away for a few long minutes.  
When we were finally driving again the ride was silent as ever.  
As we parked into the driveway, I saw Charlie's car and started to panic.  
"Look," I said to Edward quickly, "you have to leave. Now!"  
I got out the car and ran towards the door. I turned back to see Edward's confused expression before he raced away into the darkness.  
I braced myself, and opened the door.  
"Where have you been, bitch?" I heard Charlie slur from the lounge.  
"School study session," I answered automatically  
He grunted and I took a deep breath, knowing what was to come.  
He grabbed me by the hair, and started punching me with so much force, that I had to bite my lip hard enough to draw blood to keep from screaming.  
Fortunately that was all for the night so after about 10 minutes he shoved me into the staircase.  
"Get out of my sight!"  
I scurried up the stairs and locked my bedroom door. One of these days he was going to be the death of me.  
I cried for a short minute, but it didn't help much. I needed to feel pain. The same pain I feel on the inside I needed to feel on the outside. And I needed it now.  
I found the razor that was tucked away in my underwear draw and held it to my arm.  
I'd never done this before but it always seemed to work on movies and stuff. I drew the blade across my skin and felt immediate release.  
I sighed in pleasure. "I could get used to this."  
"I really wish you wouldn't," I heard from my bed.  
I swung around expecting to see Charlie, but instead I saw…Edward. Spread across my bed in a relaxed position, but his eyes held his anger, as they always did.  
"EDWARD!" I shouted. Then I remembered Charlie downstairs. "Edward," I said a little softer, "what are you doing here?"  
He didn't respond. He got up and approached me, a piece of cloth in his hand that seemed to have come from his shirt, and he held it against the cut.  
Once the bleeding had stopped, he led me to the bed and lay down next to me, just stroking my hair softly.  
Then I realised the positioning we were in.  
"What are you doing here?" I asked angrily.  
"I always come here," he said as if it were nothing.  
"WHAT?!" I sat up, not caring about the pain it caused me.  
He remained lying down. "Sometimes, I like to come in here and watch you sleep."  
"WHY?!" I was officially freaking out.  
"You're funny when you sleep. You talk," he stated matter-of-factly.  
I groaned. "I cannot believe this!"  
He chuckled. "I mean it's not like you _said my name_ or anything," he exaggerated.  
"Oh, no!" I knew I dreamed about him! Of course, I did! And now he did too!  
I had never been more embarrassed!  
I put my head in my hands and he sat up.  
"Don't be ashamed! I dream of you too."  
I looked up and saw that he was looking at my arm. "Why do you do cut yourself, Kitten?"  
"I don't."  
He was about to argue when I continued talking. "I don't cut myself. I was just…trying it out..."  
He gave me a disbelieving look. "It's true, I swear!"  
He seemed to accept this but I had a feeling that we would be discussing this tomorrow.  
"Kitten, I couldn't stand to see anything hurt you." He looked into my eyes with a fiery intensity. "_Anything_."  
Our faces were just inches apart and I couldn't stand it anymore. I knew my subconscious was right  
I was falling in love with Edward Cullen!  
I grabbed his face and, before he could pull away, kissed him right on the mouth.  
He didn't pull away.  
I kissed him harder and in earnest, making him feel what he does to me. He grabbed my waist with one hand, pulling me closer, and lost his other hand in my hair, keeping me where I was.  
I didn't mind at all.  
As soon as I felt his tongue asking for entrance I instantly opened myself to him.  
His wonderfully, unusually cold tongue traced my lips, before entering my mouth and exploring every nook and cranny slowly as if he was trying to memorize it all, take it all in. I didn't protest.  
When we finally came up for air, we were gasping.  
I could tell he was about to draw the line there, but I was desperate for more.  
I moved down to his neck, kissing and sucking probably causing a bruise, but I couldn't find it in me to care.  
"Ugh, Kitten!" I heard Edward moan, but I didn't stop.  
Instead I kept moving downwards and, plucking up some courage, licked him all the way down to his chest, pulling his shirt down.  
I heard him growl. "Fuck!"  
I smiled. I was glad that I had the power to do this to him.  
I tried to remove his shirt and I couldn't do it without his help. I looked up to him and he seemed too far gone to stop, so he pulled his shirt over his head and attacked my lips again.  
I felt him groan into my mouth and I sighed.  
I went back to his toned, hairless chest and just took a moment to stare. Wow.  
He was…perfect. He was sculpted to perfection…literally.  
We were lying down now, him underneath me, and I was straddling his waist. A position I could all too well feel his straining erection through his jeans.  
I licked my lips and attacked his left nipple. Licking and sucking and nipping at it while I probed the other one.  
"Fuck, Bella! Fuck, fuck, fuck!"  
He was writhing and groaning beneath me and I was satisfied with these results.  
Just as I was about to take it one step further, he put his hands on my hips and lifted me off him with a groan.  
"Why do you do this to me, Kitten?" He sounded playful but I couldn't be sure with all the panting he was doing.  
"What's wrong?" I asked confused. "Why did you stop me?"  
He didn't answer.  
"I mean…don't you _want_ it?" No response.  
"Or not," I said rejected and humiliated.  
"Of course I _want_ to Kitten! How could I not?" He sounded exasperated.  
"Then why did you pull away?"  
He stared at me. "Not now. Not yet."  
I nodded, though not quite understanding.  
There was nothing much else to say so he laid back and I followed, snuggling into his bare chest, revelling in the sensation.  
"Sleep, Kitten."  
Those were the last words I heard before I sighed, content to fall promptly to sleep.  
And I dreamed. I dreamed about Edward Cullen, the guy I'd known for not even a week. The guy who seemed to know me better than anyone in such a short time.  
The guy I was this close to having sex with tonight.  
Ouch! My head hurt!

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**A/N ****Okay, be honest. How many of you were expecting to get a lemon somewhere in there? :D Sneak peek: Next chapter has a LOT of drama! And the faster you REVIEW the faster I UPDATE! **

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	6. The Meadow

Bella's POV

When I woke up the next morning I was dead tired.  
Then I remembered the previous night's events and a deep blush began to form on my cheeks.  
I sat up further, looking around the room eagerly. When I found that he wasn't in the room, my slow building smile vanished.  
I got up and sighed. I should have known better than to trust him. I should have known that the second I did what he was waiting for, he would be gone.  
I walked down the stairs, still kicking myself for being so naïve, when the most attractive smell reached me.  
I breathed it in.  
It was like vanilla…and cinnamon.  
I followed the scent into the kitchen and giggled at the sight before me.  
It was Edward…in an apron…cooking!  
I placed my hand over my mouth to hide the smile of relief. How could I ever doubt him.  
He heard me and looked up. "Morning, Sunshine."  
He put a plate of pancakes, cinnamon rolls, eggs and bacon on the table in front of me. "Eat up."  
I gasped, taking it all in. It looked delicious.  
Then I looked at the clock and sighed. "This is nice, Edward, but there is no way I'll be able to finish it before school."  
He took off the apron and took my hand, leading me to the chair.  
"I think we both deserve a break from that hellhole," he whispered into my ear, causing me to shiver.  
"Edward," I started, "we can't skip school. Well, _I_ can't."  
If Charlie had to find out about it, well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.  
"Why not?" he asked innocently, pulling out the chair for me and sitting me down.  
"My dad," I answered vaguely.  
He groaned. "I'm sure he wouldn't kill you for missing one day, Kitten."  
"Wanna bet?" I whispered, looking at my feet. My head shot up when I realised what I'd said.  
His expression was confused. I laughed, trying to pull it off as a joke. It took a while but eventually his face relaxed. "We ARE skipping school, Kitten."  
It was an order, not a question.  
I sighed, nodding. I found it was a lot easier if I didn't test him.  
I didn't get up until I had finished every crumb on my plate. He could really cook! And he felt content to just sit and watch me eat.  
"What are we even going to do?"  
"There's this place," he said, grabbing his car keys. "In the woods. A meadow. I would like for you to enjoy it with me."  
I nodded. It didn't sound too horrible.  
"It's a great place for talking," he continued. Great.  
I headed to the stairs, about to change, when he stopped me.  
"You're fine. We're not going out to dinner, Kitten. No need to dress up."  
I looked down at my pyjamas. I was wearing boxer shorts and a tank top.  
"I need to change." I kept walking towards the stairs.  
He grabbed my wrist harshly, making last night's cut sting terribly.  
"OW!"  
"I said you're fine. Let's go."  
As he drove us down the freeway, I thought about what was happening.  
I'd only known him a few days, and already I felt as though I knew him.  
That I was _his_.  
I hated him. I still hate him.  
I looked over at his horribly perfect face.  
So how is it that I love him so much?  
I thought about last night. There was no denying that the kiss was intense.  
But what if it was just the heat of the moment? The overwhelming passion might have been instantaneous, but was it real?  
I thought about our actions. The way he kissed me like there was no tomorrow. The way he held my waist and knotted his hand in my hair. The way he kept me in place, wanting me close. The way he moaned my name out of sheer bliss.  
My name…Wait a second! I'd just realised something.  
"Hey, Edward?" I asked.  
"Yes, Kitten?"  
I smiled. "Yesterday was the first time you called me by my name."  
He thought for a moment. "Yes, I suppose you're right."  
I smiled wider, satisfied with this. I hated to admit it, but I had been beginning to think that he had forgotten my name.  
We stopped at the beginning of a trail. I walked up to it, ready to hike.  
"Kitten, we're not using the trail," Edward said, walking up to a small break in the trees.  
I groaned. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy.  
We had hiked about a quarter of a mile when I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my foot.  
"Ouch!" I screamed, collapsing on the ground.  
Edward, who was a few feet ahead of me, turned around and ran up to me instantly. "What's happened? What's wrong? What hurts? Are you alright?"  
If it weren't for the pain, I would have laughed at his frenzied, worried eyes.  
"I'm fine. I think I just stepped on something sharp, that's all."  
He didn't seem to calm down at my reassurance at all.  
"I'm fine," I repeated, looking into his eyes. His concern was actually quite sweet.  
"Can you walk?" he asked hurriedly.  
I nodded but as soon as I was on my feet, I screamed out in pain and fell into Edward's ready arms.  
"Must be a bad bruise," Edward said, deep in thought.  
He stood, with me hanging onto him for dear life, contemplating something.  
Probably whether we should turn back or keep going.  
And after a short minute, he seemed to have reached a decision.  
"Up you go," he said, lifting me up bridal style.  
"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to resist him.  
He groaned. "We can't turn back now, Kitten. We're almost there. It will only be for five minutes, I promise."  
"I'm too heavy!" I argued.  
Then he stared into my eyes so intently, that I had to give in. So I let him carry me.  
For the next ten minutes, we walked in silence.  
All I could focus on was him. His hands on my legs and back, lifting me gently. The light stubble on his chin. The concentration in his eyes that were set forward. How his messy hair blew in the slight breeze…  
It was all I could do not to drool.  
Then he stopped, and I looked away from his face, straight into heaven itself.  
I gasped. The meadow was beautiful. Lush and green with wild flowers dotting the grass.  
It was just…heaven.  
"How did you find this place?" I asked as he walked us towards the centre.  
"Hiking with my brothers. I lost them but stumbled upon this." He looked down at me. "No one knows about this but us."  
He stopped, gently laying me on the soft greenery, dropping down afer me.  
For a moment we just stared at everything. I figured he was giving me some time to take it all in.  
"So," he started after a while, "let's talk."  
I sighed and looked up at him. "Ask me anything." I was determined to be completely honest with him today.  
"Well, why don't we start with recent events?"  
I looked at him, a little puzzled. Many things had happened recently. "What exactly are you referring to?" I asked.  
As an answer, he gently lifted up my left arm, turning it so the cut was visible.  
"Oh."  
He sighed, his eyes glazing over. "Why in the hell would you want to do this to yourself, Kitten?"  
I looked down. I could tell that his voice was angry, and I was afraid to look up at his face.  
I knew he was waiting for a response and I groaned. "It was just a one-time thing!"  
"Why did you do it?"  
I looked up. "Why do you care?" I countered.  
This time he looked down. "Please?"  
I sighed loudly, but didn't answer him.  
"Kitten, each time I see you there's something wrong with you. If you're not doing it to yourself, then someone is doing it to you. Either way, I WILL find out."  
I was looking into his eyes now and my breath hitched. I heard him chuckle.

Then he seemed to ponder something for a second.  
"Kitten, how would you like to meet my family?"

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**A/N**** If you review, I might just let Edward find out who's hurting his Kitten… :D**

**(By the way the last review under my name is from my teacher. She reads the stories on my account. Just so there's no confusion! :D)**


	7. Meeting The Cullens

**A/N ****Phew! This took a long time to write! Hope you enjoy it though…**

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"_Kitten, how would you like to meet my family?"_

Edward's POV

She gaped at me, mouth open, eyes wide. It was actually quite cute.  
I waited patiently for her to comprehend what I had just said.  
"Your family?" she asked at last. I nodded.  
Then her shocked expression turned into genuine confusion. "Why?"  
I chuckled , then shrugged. "Why not?"  
She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again, shaking her head.  
"Um…okay…I guess…" she murmured. Then she looked up at me. "When?"  
"Right now," I answered.  
Her eyes automatically dropped to her outfit.  
"I'll take you home to change first, of course."  
She nodded, seeming to still be in a daze. I got up and as soon as I was sure she could walk again, we headed back to the car.  
We had been on the road for about 5 minutes when she finally spoke.  
"They might not even be home. It is a school day."  
I smiled, realising that she was finding any excuse to not go through with this.  
"Actually, my family and I don't go out on sunny days like this. We normally go camping," I told her.  
She looked out the window at the clear, blue sky above us. Not a cloud to be seen.  
"Well, wouldn't they be camping then?" she asked.  
I chuckled again. "I told them to stay home today because I would be bringing you over."  
Suddenly her face scrunched up into a look of suspicion. "How did you know I would agree to come over?"  
I smirked, looking directly into her eyes. "I can be quite…persuasive when I need to be, Kitten."  
She took a deep breath and turned away from me just as we turned into her driveway.  
When she remained sitting, I cleared my throat, snapping her back into reality. "Well, go on. Try to make it quick though."  
She shook her head as she got out of the car.  
Smiling, I watched her petite frame almost dance to the front door.  
My little Kitten.  
I had been sitting in the car for what must have been over 30 minutes when she finally emerged.  
I gasped.  
She approached me quickly as I got out of the car to get a better look at her.  
"What do you think?" she asked, twirling.  
She was wearing a sky blue alter neck dress, stopping just above her knees, black Converse and a lime green necklace. Her hair was styled in a messy bun, but a few strands hung loose, framing her face and cascading down her back. She had just a touch of lip gloss on, but other than that her face was clear of all makeup.  
"I think my pants suddenly got too tight," I answered making her blush a deep crimson. "Let's go."  
She looked panicked. "Are you sure? Is it too much? Is it not enough? Do I look okay?"  
"Let's _go_, Kitten," I said a little firmer.  
She quickly got into the car and, smirking, I got into the driver's seat and started driving.  
The drive was silent. Every now and then my Kitten would check herself in the mirror or adjust her hair.  
She could be so silly.  
About 15 minutes later she looked at me. "Where exactly are we going?"  
"My house," I told her, looking directly ahead.  
She looked around. "It looks like you're taking me somewhere away from all civilisation so you can kidnap me and make me your prisoner."  
I turned to her, and stared at her seriously. "How did you figure it out?"  
Her smile vanished and her face became almost…frightened.  
"I'm kidding!" I reassured her turning back to the road, a smile on my face. "Do you really believe I would do something like that to you?"  
She shrugged, her face relaxing into a grin.  
"I mean I _could_," I continued. "If I wanted to."  
"Why would you want to?" she asked.  
"Because," I whispered, leaning into her until my lips reached her ear. "I know you'd enjoy it."  
She shivered and I pulled away, a victorious smirk on my lips.  
We pulled into the driveway and the worried look appeared on her face again, causing me roll my eyes.  
"What if they don't like me?" she stressed. "What if they _hate_ me? What if-"  
"What if all your stressing causes your head to explode?" I cut in, making her giggle.  
"Okay, sorry," she said, flattening her hair.  
I stopped her with my hand. "Don't worry. They're going to love you."  
I was looking directly into her eyes and they seemed to calm down a bit.  
We got out the car and, taking her hand, I led her to the front door. I let her go in before me, but followed in soon after.  
"Esme! Carlisle! We're here!" I yelled. The sound echoed through the large house, causing Kitten to wince slightly.  
"Your house is…big," she whispered, scrunching up her nose in the cutest way. I smiled, shaking my head. She is so adorable.  
My Kitten.  
_Mine_.  
I love the sound of that.

Bella's POV

His house was…huge! Like, gigantic!  
I was getting anxious to explore it. I wondered what Edward's room looked like?  
I was about to ask him to take me to it when the sweetest voice stopped me.  
"Hello, dear! You must be Edward's new friend! I'm Esme, his mother," I heard someone say.  
I turned and saw the most beautiful woman…and there was an equally beautiful man standing next to her.  
"And I'm his father," he said.  
I smiled as warmly as I could. "I'm Bella, Edward's...friend." I wasn't exactly sure what Edward referred me as to his parents but it seemed as though they knew me as his friend. "It's nice to meet you Mr and Mrs Cullen."  
"Please," the man said, "call me Carlisle."  
"It's Esme, darling," the lady said. Something about her was familiar to me…  
I nodded.  
"The others will be here in a minute," Esme said to me. She directed us to what looked like a living room. "Please, sit."  
I was about to take a seat on a single chair when Edward took my hand a guided me towards one of the two loveseats there were, then he sat beside me and put his arm around me.  
I took a moment to observe the two inhumanly beautiful people in front of me.  
These _were_ the only two members of Edward's family I hadn't really seen yet.  
I looked at the lady. Esme.  
She was…amazing. A heart shaped face which was framed by the silkiest orange hair I'd ever seen.  
She also had the softest brown eyes. I could automatically tell that she was the nurturing type. Those eyes were so familiar…  
Then I focused on Carlisle.  
He was…wow. There were no words to describe him. Handsome wasn't a good enough word. He had thick, blond hair and the brightest, deep blue eyes.  
And they both had the exact same pale skin tone as Edward and his siblings did.  
"Well, it seems the others are…delayed," Carlisle said, turning to us.  
Edward groaned. "Great! It would be just like them to keep my friend and I waiting!"  
"Easy, Edward," Esme said, sensing his raging temper. "They probably have a good reason."  
Edward took a deep breath and moved to get up. "Well, I guess I'll bring her back another time."  
"No!" Esme exclaimed, causing Edward to pause. "We have been waiting so long to meet Bella and it would be a shame for her to just leave like this, especially with your siblings coming soon."  
"Well, what do you suppose we do?" Edward asked, frustrated.  
I wasn't sure if they were too engrossed in their conversation to realise that they were talking about me with me sitting right in front of them.  
I craned my neck to look at Edward, who was now standing at the foot of the loveseat.  
This seemed to make Carlisle realise that I was still there.  
"I think we can make good use of this opportunity," he said. "And get to know Bella a little better. Don't you think so, honey?" he asked, turning to Esme.  
I said a silent prayer of thank you to Edward's father for saving me from the inevitable 'awkward silence' that was sure to follow their conversation.  
"Yes, definitely," Esme said.  
I heard Edward sigh and sit back down next to me. Then Carlisle and Esme sat down on the other loveseat, facing us.  
"So, Bella," Esme started, "tell us about yourself."  
I shrugged. "Ask me anything."  
"Why don't you tell us about your family?" Carlisle asked. I gulped.  
I should have expected this. They would obviously want to know about my upbringing.  
"Can you…be more specific?" I stuttered.  
"Well," Esme said, "how about your parents? Tell us about your mother."  
I looked down. "My mother…she…um…she's passed away."  
I looked up to see Esme with her hand over her mouth, and Carlisle with a sorrowful expression on his face.  
I was afraid to even _look_ at Edward's face. But I knew we would be talking about it later…  
"I'm so very sorry, sweety," I heard Esme say. "Would it be forward if I asked about it?"  
"Not at all," I said, my voice shaky.  
"When did she pass?" she asked softly.  
I took a deep breath. "Five years ago. I was 12. She died in a car crash. It was…hard…at the time…but I'm over it now."  
I felt Edward's hand on my shoulder.  
"I'm sorry," I heard Carlisle say.  
"Don't be." I saw Esme was near tears, and noticed her eyes again.  
"Your eyes," I said, "they remind me of my mother's. They were just like yours. Soft…caring…"  
I was fighting tears. It was always hard, remembering my mother. I never realise how much I miss her until I actually talk about it.  
"Well, what about your father?" Carlisle asked, trying to lighten the mood, not realising that that surely wouldn't help.  
"Oh, you know…he's just like any father…" I cleared my throat, not prepared to lie about how 'perfect' my father is. I didn't want to lie to them at all.  
"Give us some details, honey," Esme said, brightening up, "what's he really like?"  
"He's…well, he's a dad…and he's…pretty unique…I guess…" I scanned the room, trying to find a way to draw the conversation away from my father.  
Then I noticed a piano in the corner of the room. I saw Esme, Carlisle and Edward follow my eyes.  
I turned to Esme. "Do you play?"  
She shook her head. "No. Edward didn't tell you he was a musical?"  
I looked at Edward. His face held a sheepish grin. "No, he never did."  
"It never came up," he said, shrugging.  
I rolled my eyes then got a thought. "Will you play me something?"  
He scrunched up his face in an absolutely adorable way.  
Then I heard a car pull into the driveway, followed by the opening of the door and the whispers of what must be Edward's siblings.  
"Perhaps another time," Edward said.  
"Kids!" Esme yelled. "We're in here!"  
After a few seconds, I saw each one of Edwards siblings walk in one by one.  
"Well," Carlisle said, "we'll leave you young ones to socialize then."  
Him and Esme got up.  
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Bella," Esme said. Carlisle nodded.  
"Likewise," I said. "You are both remarkable people. And now I know where Edward get's his…good looks from." Friends were allowed to say that…right?  
They shared a glance, confused. "Didn't Edward tell you?" Esme asked.  
"Tell me what?" I asked, looking up at Edward who was now looking away from me.  
"We aren't Edward's, or his sibling's, biological parents," Carlisle explained. "They were all adopted."  
I gasped. I looked up at Edward and saw that he was now staring at me.  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
He shrugged again. "You never asked."  
I groaned. Esme and Carlisle chuckled, before leaving the room completely.  
Leaving me with Edward and his siblings.  
I decided to introduce myself first. "Hello, I'm Bella. It's a pleasure to meet you all."  
The beautiful blond one rolled her eyes but the brawny, dark haired boy standing next to her broke into a huge smile.  
"I'm Emmett!" the big guy boomed, a voice like thunder. And it was so…joyous…I just had to smile. He was even bigger than I thought he was! And his _eyes_…  
"And _I'm_ Alice!" the small, pretty, pixie like girl said in a sing song voice. She was so…small. Tiny. Smaller than me, even.  
After them, the rest of the introductions just filed on.  
"Jasper," the lean, tall, blond guy told me in a sullen voice.  
"Rosalie," the perfect blond girl snapped. She obviously didn't want me here.  
The others were quite friendly though. For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening we sat and talked. It was really great to get to know them.  
I found out a lot about them. Alice and Jasper were a couple and so were Emmett and Rosalie. And that Jasper and Rosalie are twins. And much more. It wasn't long before I felt absolutely at ease around them.  
I'd never really had friends before.  
It was nice.  
In fact, Alice and I have become really close in the short time I've known her and we even have plans to go shopping the following weekend in Port Angeles.  
She's amazing. They all are.  
And I was absolutely happy. Until I heard a bit more about Edward's past than I needed to.  
"So," Emmett started, "has Edward ever told you about Tanya?"  
I saw Edward shoot him a death glare, as if trying to shut him up through telepathy.  
"Who's Tanya?" I asked, interested.  
"Edward's old girlfriend," he replied.  
I raised my eyebrow. "Girlfriend? When?"  
Emmett was about to answer me when Alice stepped in, probably trying to help out her brother.  
"You know what?" she said. "It's getting rather late and I'm sure Bella's father is expecting her home."  
I looked at the clock that hung on the wall. 11:42pm!  
I hadn't even been paying attention to the time. I must have gotten carried away with all the fun in talking to Edward's family.  
I turned back to Emmett and saw the cutest pout on his lips. "Alice! You always ruin my fun!"  
I laughed. Hard. Harder than I ever remember myself laughing. I hadn't laughed in a very long time.  
It felt…good.  
The Cullens walked with me and Edward to the car.  
"Bye Bella! Looking forward to Port Angeles!" Alice said, pulling me into a hug.  
"Seeya later, Bells!" Emmett yelled, squeezing me in a tight bear hug. I could tell he was going to be like a big brother to me one day…  
"Goodbye," Jasper said, courteously.  
"Goodbye, sweety!" Esme exclaimed, kissing my cheek.  
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Bella. Hope I'll see you again soon. It's nice that Edward has some…company," Carlisle said warmly.  
All I got from Rosalie was a bleak wave, but I didn't mind. I hadn't felt so loved since my mom died. I'd forgotten what it was like.  
As soon as we were in the car and away from the house, I turned to Edward.  
"Who's Tanya?"  
He sighed. "_Emmett_." He turned to me slightly. "Tanya is my past. You are my future, Kitten."  
I rolled my eyes. I wasn't buying that shit. "How long were you together?"  
"A little over a year," he said thoughtfully.  
"What does she look like?"  
He groaned. "It doesn't matter-"  
"_What does she look like?_" I cut him off.  
He sighed. "Blond hair, blue eyes, fake tan…the usual."  
I tried to picture her. And I didn't like what my imagination came up with.  
Not at all.  
"Did you love her?" I asked softly.  
"No," he said slowly, "no…I was…infatuated in a way. But it wasn't love."  
There were many questions on my mind as he neared my street. But there was one pressing me at the back of my mind.  
"Did you ever do…_it_…with her?"  
He laughed. He actually laughed. Not just a small chuckle but a real, booming laugh. As if he found it _funny_.  
That made me pout.  
"No…we never…did…_it_…" he said between laughs.  
"Oh," I said, relieved.  
Though there was still a hint of jealousy there.  
We would pick it up another time. All I thought of for the rest of the silent drive, was how Charlie was going to kill me when I got home.  
"Here we are," he said pulling into the driveway.  
"Yay," I murmured with fake enthusiasm.  
He chuckled. Before I could get out, he pulled my chin towards him and kissed me square on the lips.  
Not a heavy make-out session. More like a 'goodnight' kiss. It was sweet.  
"I'll see you tomorrow," he whispered.  
I nodded, getting out the car.  
When I got to the front door, I waved back to his car, opened the door, and walked straight into hell.

Edward's POV

She continues to amaze me. My Kitten. Here I was, dropping her off at her home, and then missing her 5 seconds later.  
I'd just spent the whole day with her, but it didn't seem to be enough.  
It wasn't enough.  
I wanted to be with her for every second.  
Was that romantic?  
Or creepy?  
Either way, I couldn't care less.  
Though I knew that 'Tanya' story wasn't going to be over for a while.  
She was at the front door now, waving at me. That was my signal to leave. I waved back and backed out of the driveway slowly, and then onto the road.  
I missed her so much already.  
I would see her in a matter of hours.  
Just hours.  
You can wait.  
I was only a few minutes away from her house when I heard an earth-shattering crash, followed by a shrill scream.  
A cry for help.  
I stopped the car and listened closer.  
"**EDWARD!**" I heard someone scream.  
That cry was for me!  
My Kitten!  
She was screaming for me!  
I turned the car around at top speed.  
I was at her house in 2 seconds. As I approached the door I heard yelling and a lot of crashing from inside.  
Wasting no time, I kicked the door down and followed the noise into the kitchen.  
And there she lay. My Kitten. Battered and beaten and broken. On the floor in the corner of the room.  
I could cry from just the sight of it.  
Then I looked towards the monster that stood before her. A man that could only be her father, towering over her, drunk as ever, holding a knife in his hand.  
A knife he aimed at my Kitten!  
I didn't have time to comprehend what I was doing before I jumped into action.  
And no-one could have seen what I would do next…

**X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X**

**A/N ****OOOOOH CLIFFHANGER!**

**What will he do? What will Bella say? What's going to happen to Charlie? **

**All in the next chapter. **

**The sooner you review, the faster I update…**

**Please R&R :D**


	8. Authors Note!

**Sorry for the confusion guys but to clear a few things up, Bella did meet and Carlisle in the hospital but only **_**assumed**_** it was Edward's dad.  
It was confirmed in the last chapter.  
Sorry! Keep reading! :D**


	9. Bella Near Death

**Edward's POV**

Running at top speed, I slapped the knife out of that monster's hands and heard it clatter to the floor. Then I grabbed his neck and flung him into the wall behind him.  
"NO!" I heard my Kitten scream from somewhere far away. I didn't stop.  
I couldn't.  
I was oblivious to her faint cries as I pulled him by the collar and threw him harshly into the table, hearing a loud crack from his chest.  
He was out cold. But even that didn't stop me from lifting him up, and dropping him onto the cold tiles of the kitchen floor.  
He landed with a loud thud, followed by more cracking from somewhere in his body.  
I was panting hard. A red mist had descended over my eyes. I was fuming.  
Then the image of him holding a knife to a beaten down girl arose, and I lost it once more.  
I reverted my eyes away from his unconscious body and towards the knife that had landed across the room.  
Slowly, I walked up to it, picked it up cautiously, and stepped back to him.  
Lifting the knife carefully, I held it above his body. Just as I was about to seal the deal I heard a desperate cry.  
"EDWARD!"  
I turned towards Kitten, still beaten and broken, still on the floor.  
"Don't do this! He's not worth it! I…I love you too much to watch you pay for his mistakes! Please!"  
This snapped me back into reality.  
I only then noticed my surroundings.  
The kitchen was in a mess. The things that were on the counter were now broken and scattered onto the floor.  
There was a huge dent in the wall where I must have pushed her father, and a few tiles beneath it were crushed.  
I touched my aching head and pulled back my hand to see blood on my hand.  
I looked back at her father who was lying broken on the floor, and gasped.  
A pool of blood had accumulated around his head and his breathing was slow yet rapid.  
Then I looked down at the knife that I was holding with a vice tight grip, realizing what I was about to do.  
I dropped the knife with a loud gasp and fell to my knees. My head was spinning.  
I could have killed him.  
I _would _have killed him.  
If he wasn't already dead.  
I felt myself slip away.  
"Edward?" I heard. Her voice was coming from directly beside me, but it felt like miles away.  
I just barely felt the reassuring touch she made on my arm.  
"Edward!" she screamed. "EDWARD! Answer me!"  
But I wasn't paying attention. My mind was galaxies away. Her voice which was usually the focus of my universe, was now a mere echo in the distance.  
I was too far gone to rationally react to anything.  
Just then I heard sirens outside the house. The police.  
That somewhat woke me up.  
Though not by much.  
I heard them barge into the door and I looked over at Kitten.  
She looked terrified.  
I tried getting up, to maybe try to comfort her, in any way I could. But something pushed me back down forcefully.  
I recognized the familiar robotic voices of the police. Before I knew what was happening, my hands were cuffed together behind my back and I was being dragged away from my Kitten.  
Then I noticed how fragile she looked.  
I couldn't scream. I couldn't even talk.  
All I could do was whisper a faint 'I'm sorry' in her direction before I was forced out of the house and into the back of a police van.  
Then I blacked out.

**Bella's POV**

I watched with frightened eyes as they dragged Edward out of the room. He didn't even lift a finger.  
He'd turned around to look at me and I saw his lips moving, possibly trying to tell me something. It was too soft for me to hear.  
I wanted to cry.  
I was confused and sore and frightened and all wanted to do was curl up and cry myself to sleep like I did as a child.  
But I couldn't.  
I could hardly muster up enough energy to breathe.  
I ignored the pain that was running through my body and took slow, painful breaths.  
I kept blacking out for seconds at a time. All I could focus on was the strong urge to stop breathing. To stop the pain I felt as I took each breath.  
The strong urge to die.  
But I couldn't.  
Not when I knew Edward was somewhere with the police right now, possibly being arrested.  
He was innocent.  
And I had to live long enough to prove that.  
The next thing I knew, I was being strapped to a gurney and wheeled out of the house, into an ambulance, being taken to a hospital.  
I heard the soft voices of paramedics urging me to keep calm and breath deeply, but I barely heard them.  
All I could think abut was the look on Edwards face as he was being taken away. It haunted me throughout the whole drive and when we finally got to the hospital I had no more energy.  
I couldn't speak, or move, or breathe.  
But that didn't stop my mind from going into turbo mode.  
I heard the frantic voices of doctors and nurses gathered around me. Someone put a mask over my mouth that was pushing air into my lungs.  
I gathered the strength to open my eyes.  
I was in a hospital bed. I closed my eyes once more, quite ready for it all to end.  
I was going to die in this room. This bed.  
And I was ready.  
And that scared me.  
The voices were starting to jumble together into one big murmur.  
Then one voice stood out among the rest. I opened my eyes.  
"Don't worry about it, Dr Keith," Carlisle said. "I'll take it from here."  
Then the world went black.

**Edward's POV**

"_Why would you want to hurt those innocent people, Mr Cullen?" Officer Jon asked me over a table.  
"I didn't," I replied calmly, knowing it was the truth.  
"Don't lie to me, boy."  
"I DIDN'T HURT HER!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, my voice husky and panicked. "I WOULD NEVER HURT HER!"  
"Why not?" he asked.  
"I…I love her…" I answered meekly.  
"And the man?" he continued. "You damn near killed him."  
"I…I didn't mean to…I…didn't know what I was doing…I…regret it."  
"Sure you do," he said scornfully. "You understand that if the girl says differently you WILL go to prison, right, boy?"  
I nodded. My head pounded and I had already vomited about three times. I wanted to go home.  
I wanted to be anywhere but here, in this cold little room.  
This questioning room at the police station.  
"And if you didn't in fact hurt the girl, what happened to her?"  
"Her father…he…" I couldn't continue. It was too painful.  
"EDWARD!" I heard Esme shout as she entered the room. I looked up and almost smiled.  
"He will have to be questioned more at a later date Mrs Cullen," the officer said.  
She ignored him completely and ran up to me, wiping the dried blood from my eyes.  
"He needs to be in a hospital!" she screamed, gently touching the deep gash on my temple.  
"A car is ready to transport him outside-"  
"No," she interrupted him, "I'm taking him home. Right now."  
I got up shakily and wobbled outside into her car.  
As she drove away I looked back at the police station, knowing that I would be going back. _

My eyes opened with a shock. My dreams had replayed the event of the previous night so clearly that I was literally shaking.  
I slowly got out of bed but quickly regret it.  
My head pounded and I could feel the dry blood still covering my face.  
I groaned and got up carefully, hoping to find my mother. To ask her what had happened.  
If Isabella was dead I would never forgive myself.  
But I couldn't think of that.  
I heard a knock on my door.  
"Edward?" my fathers voice called from the other side. "Are you awake?"  
I groaned loudly as an answer and he opened the door slowly.  
"How are you feeling?"  
I gave him a nod to show that I was okay considering the circumstances.  
I couldn't talk. My mouth was dry.  
But I needed to know about Isabella. He was at the hospital for night shift last night and I knew he would have chosen to take care of her.  
"Isabella…" I managed to draw out roughly. My voice was coarse and I could only hope he could understand me.  
"Yes, there is something I need to discuss with you, Edward."  
I looked up sharply, my mind in overdrive. Always expecting the worst.  
I took a deep, painful breath.  
"What happened?"


End file.
